On February 1st, the Chicago PrEP Working Group (CPWG) launched PrEP4Love, a citywide, sex-positive media campaign designed to increase awareness of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily HIV prevention pill for HIV-negative people. Honest and visceral photography with a simple tagline — “One pill. Once a day. Protect against HIV.” — is displayed in ads throughout Chicago on CTA trains and buses, as well as in an interactive, heated bus shelter at State and Lake that will be going up soon. The campaign also includes a large online advertising component anchored by the prep4love.com website — where you can see the campaign imagery. PrEP was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2012, is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is endorsed by the White House. PrEP is an extremely important new tool to prevent new HIV transmissions, especially for people who don’t always use condoms in communities where the burden of HIV is great.

PrEP4Love focuses on Chicago communities that are especially vulnerable to HIV, including young gay and bisexual Black men, transgender women of color and Black heterosexual women. The four pairs of models featured in the campaign were discovered through a community model search. The campaign is supported by a generous grant from the Alphawood Foundation and the thoughtful contributions of numerous individuals. Extensive community input, including focus groups, helped shape the campaign. The University of Chicago manages the Chicago PrEP line [872-215-1905], a phone service designed to help people access PrEP, including linkages to health care providers across the city, health insurance and low-cost or free medication.